Bail pleas of Odisha doc couple held for anti-cancer drug scam rejected

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Sep 17:

Special Vigilance court here today rejected the bail pleas of three persons including the doctor couple arrested yesterday for allegedly prescribing inferior quality drugs to cancer patients.

According to reports, the arrested trio moved the bail petitions today before the Special Vigilance court which turned down their pleas.

The Vigilance sleuths had arrested Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology of the Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) Dr. Surendranath Senapati and his wife Dr. Deeptirani Samanta an Assistant Professor in Department of Medical Oncology in the same hospital yesterday for their alleged complicity in the fraud.

The Vigilance also arrested the proprietor of the pharmaceutical manufacturing firm JBSL Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Sudhanshu Das which had supplied low-quality drugs meant for cancer patients.

The doctor couple is also accused of recommending non-reputed pharmaceutical companies to Odisha State Medicine Corporation Limited (OSMCL).

The duo was prescribing anti-cancer drugs of JBSL brand to patients covered under Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF) and Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana (BKKY) schemes.

According to reports, the price of the drugs prescribed by the couple was higher compared to competitor brands of reputed companies.

Also Read: Odisha doc couple sent to jail for prescribing inferior cancer drugs